Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

H. & J. KNUPP.

THILL COUPLING.

WITNESSES INVENTOR if BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PA ENT @Frrca.

HENRY KNUPP AND JOHN KNUPP, OF XVARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,590, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed August 1-1, 1887. Serial No. 246,779. (No model.)

' To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that we, HENRY KNUPP and the thill-iron on its pivotE,we eniployaclamp JOHN KNUPP,of Warren,in thecounty ofWar- 1 consisting of a lower plate, H, an upperplate ren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved ThillC0upling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Ourinvention relates to a coupling for connecting thills to the axle of a vehicle, and has for its object to provide a simple,inexpensive,

tical pressure to positively prevent rattling of 7 I, hinged together by a pin, t, which passes through vertically-bent end portions of the clamp plates, and a headed screw, J, which is 1 passed upward through and fits a square hole in the unhinged end of the lower plate, H,and passes also through a round hole at the adjacent end of the upper plate, I, and above the and effective device of this character which latter plate the screwJ receives a thumb-nut,

will prevent rattling of the thill-iron at its pivot, and prevent loss of the pivot, and promote the durability of the entire thill-coupling.

The invention consists in certain novel featu res of construction and combinations of parts of the thill-coupling, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved thill-c oupling as applied to use. Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4 is a detail view taken at the opposite side from that seen in Fig. 1,0r at the hinged end of the clamp. Fig. 5isa detail view of the clamp-screw nut, and Fig. 6 is a detail .view of part of one of the clamparms against which the nut acts.

The thillcoupling is formed with the usual clip, A, having bolt ends receiving nuts I) b, which hold the clip by its bottom plate, B, securely to avehicle-axle, G. The clip A is pro vided at the front with a pair of lugs a a, between which is fitted the eye (2 of the thilliron D, and a bolt, E, passing through the parts a a (I, pivots the thill-iron to the clip and consequently to the axle. Between the thilliron eye and the outer side or face of thebody of the clip A a rubber block, F, forming an anti-rattler, is placed. This block F may be made of leather or any other suitable material. The thill-iron is held by bolts 9 to the thill G, the back end only of which is shown in the drawings.

All'of the above-named parts may have any usual or approved construction.

To hold the anti-rattler F securely to place and expand it laterally or horizontally by ver- K, by turning which the plates H I may be drawn toward each other at their free or an hinged ends to compress the anti-rattler vertically,and thereby expand it between the clip A and the thill-iron eye (Z to prevent rattling of the thill-iron. The opposite clamp-plates are each provided with lips L at each side, which lap on the top and bottom parts of the anti-rattler and prevent its breaking or working out, and assure its expansion under pressure of the clamp only at a point directly between the clip and the thill-iron eye, thus promoting the efficiency and durability of the anti-rattler and the entire coupling and allowing the anti-rattler to be easily put in place quite loosely before the clamp is applied. \Vhere the thumb-nut K acts on the clampplate I said plate is countersunk around the screw-hole, and the nut is correspondingly convexed, and the opposing faces of both the clamp-plate and the mic are provided with a series of radial serrations or teetlnk, not deep enough to prevent turning of the nut on the plate while the anti-rattler is being compressedby the screw, but sufficiently deep to prevent turning back or loosening of the nut by the resistance or expanding pressure of the anti-rattler on the clamp-plates. One of the clampplates, preferably the lower one, H, is provided with a lug, M,which standsimmediately outside of the head e of the pivot-bolt E, which holds the thill-iron and would prevent slipping out or loss of the pivot-bolt should no nut be used on the bolt; but we prefer to use such a nut, e, and when it is screwed up to the cliplug a the clamp-screw J is passed closely along side of the nut e to prevent its turning back off of the pivot-bolt. A double safeguard is thus provided to prevent loss of the pivot E.

It will be noticed that all parts of the antirattler clamp are easily made, and the whole device is not only quite inexpensive, but very efficient for its purpose.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

v 1. The combination,with a pivoted thill-iron and an elastic or compressible anti-rattler, F, placed next the thill-iron eye, substantially as specified, of a clamp comprising opposite plates, H I, hinged together at i and bearing 3. The combinatiomwith a pivoted thill-iron and an anti-rattler, F, placed next thethill-iron eye. substantially as specified, of a clamp comprising opposite plates clasping the anti-rattler, and one of said clamp-plates provided with a lug, M, overlying the head 6 of the thilliron pivot E, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination,with a pivoted thill-iron and an anti-rattler, F,placed next the thill-iron eye, substantially as specified, of aclamp comprising opposite plates connected at one end and clasping the anti-rattler, and a screw and nut at the opposite ends of the clamp-plates, and said clamp-screw passed alongside the nut e of the thill-pivot E, substantially as described, for the purpose-set forth.

HENRY KNUPP, JOHN KNUPP.

Witnesses:

L. P. RoYERs, JAMES CABLE. 

